


Hope is Good

by Geccarenee13



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: AU after Season 2 "Legacy", Angst, Captured, F/M, Rescue
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-15
Updated: 2018-01-14
Packaged: 2019-03-05 01:31:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13377285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geccarenee13/pseuds/Geccarenee13
Summary: "Your parents got separated. It was just like them to wait until everyone else got out." What is The Empire captured Mira and Ephraim and the ghost crew finds out and tries to save them?





	1. Plan

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, this is one of my many stories that I am working on copying from Fanfiction.net to AO3. I am also currently working on the next chapter and I hope to get it up soon. I hope you like it and leave kudos and comments. Enjoy!

Ezra’s POV

“Ezra...Come get some food and we have a mission. Let’s go!” Kanan said pounding loudly on the door to the room that I share with Zeb. It had been four days since Kanan and I got back from Lothal after finding out that my parents are, dead. Since we got back I haven’t left this room or seen anyone, except for when Hera tried to get me to eat something and when Zeb goes to bed which is when I sneak out and sit in the nose gun with the picture of my family Sabine got me for my birthday. Otherwise I never really heard from anyone, and I didn’t really want to. My parents death was my fault. They wouldn’t have organized that prison break and died if they hadn’t heard my message and been inspired to try to get out.

As I sat on my bunk contemplating my depressing thoughts I heard the heavy footsteps of Zeb heading toward our room. Then the door slid open with a hiss and Zeb was standing in front of me. Before I could get away from him he grabbed me around the waist, threw me over his shoulder, and walked out of our room towards the common room are saying, “Kanan told you we have a mission. You should have come when he told ya cause now I have to carry ya,” he growled as I struggled to get out of his grip. I was indignant. They didn’t trust me to come when called, sure I was thinking of just sitting there but still, so they tell Zeb to come and carry me to them. Really!

As I continued to struggle pointlessly, grumbling about the injustice of the entire situation Zeb and I entered the common room and Zeb set me down in front of the holotable which was playing the Imperial broadcast station. When he set me down Hera, Kanan, Sabine, and to my surprise, Ahsoka, and Rex looked up at me.

“You didn’t have to send Zeb after me,” I complained to them.

“Well, I had told you to come and I could sense that you weren’t going to come, so I sent Zeb. Now come sit down we need to get on with this briefing,” Kanan answered nonchalantly looking back down at the datapad he was holding.

“Come on. I made you some space waffles,” Hera said sweetly sliding a plate of my favorite food over to the empty spot at the table. The waffles did look and smell amazing and I knew that their was no way I was going to get out of this so I sat down and dug into the delicious breakfast.

I looked up as Ahsoka started talking, “So we found this yesterday.” She then pulled a section of video up and started it. There was a mass break out at one of our highly guarded prisons in the Lothal system a few days ago. However we were able to catch five of the escaped prisoners. Two of them we believe were the masterminds behind this plot. As a punishment for their actions, they will be publicly executed tomorrow in Capital City on Lothal at noon. The video ended here. The breakout was obviously my parents and the two they mentioned sounded like them. Could they be alive? No, it was impossible. But, just maybe.  
The thoughts flying through my head were interrupted by Kanan saying, “ Well, we got to save them. We’re already on course for Lothal. This is the plan we’ve set up.” He then proceeded to go into detail the plan for the prisoners’ rescue. The plan was simple. Sabine, Zeb, and Rex would cause a distraction while Ahsoka, Kanan, and I snuck behind the garrison. Then I would work on freeing the prisoner while Kanan and Ahsoka covered me. We would rendezvous back at the Ghost where Hera and Chopper will be waiting for us and be ready to give air support if needed. 

“Ok. That’s the plan. We’re now twenty minutes out from Lothal. GO get ready,” Kanan finished up and Zeb, Sabine, and I jumped up heading to our rooms to grab our stuff.

No matter how foolish I know it is I couldn’t help but hope that my parents were still alive and we were going to rescue them. It might not be true, but I can hope.

Kanan’s POV

I was glad to see a spark back in Ezra’s previously dull eyes as he jumped up with the others and rushed off. It was good to see him not so down after the news we thought was definite.

Looking at Ahsoka I asked her, “Did you look into who they’re executing?”

“Yes,” she answered, “And they are Ezra’s parents.”

“But, I thought they were dead,” a confused Hera said.

“The thing is, that Rider Azadi only said that they were separated. Not that they were dead,” I answered her unasked question. Then I stated the obvious,”We definitely have to save them.” Even if we didn’t get the others. One way or another I would find a way to save them. “I promise you Ezra,” I murmured softly, “we will save your parents.” The four of us at the table looked at each other and nodded. We were going to complete this mission one way or another. No matter what.


	2. The Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They head out to save Ezra's parents and the other captives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter, but this is mostly a filler.

Ezra’s POV

“But, it can’t be them,” I argued with myself quietly as I gathered my stuff for the mission, “Don’t get your hopes up again,” I had all my things by then and headed to the hanger to wait for us to land on Lothal.   
I didn’t have to wait long though because we landed just I got to the hanger. Everyone was ready in their armor with their weapons on their backs. Rex was even in some stormtrooper armor.

“Ok. Everyone, we have an hour before the execution but the square should already be filling. Let’s get these people out before their execution time. Everyone ready?” Kanan waited till everyone nodded and finished saying, “Then let’s go,” Rex left first in a hurry to integrate into the ring of stormtroopers who were acting as a sort of crowd patrol. Then the rest of us left. Sabine and Zeb integrated into the crowd on the left side to set up the distraction while Kanan, Ahsoka, and I went to the left as close to the line of stormtroopers we could get without being seen and recognized. There was a kind of quiet roar of noise from around us, like how there always was when something like this was going on and they were forced to attend, until suddenly there was a loud cry of, “NO! Get away from me!” coming from over where Sabine and Zeb were. Then I heard a stormtrooper, that I recognized as Rex, say, “We better go check that out.” He lead the three stormtroopers closest to us to check it out and the three of us slipped behind the line of troopers and towards the prisoner transport that was parked behind the garrison.

There were only two troopers on guard at either side of the door and I watched from the shadows as Ahsoka and Kanan snuck up on either side of the troopers and knocked them out. I then ran forward and quickly picked the lock on the transport. As the door slid open I started to walk in and then froze in my tracks.

In front of me were… my parents. Sitting there side by side, holding hands, and when the door opened and the sun hit them they looked up, and I realized that it was exactly how I saw them in my vision.  
We looked at each other frozen for a moment until I heard Kanan urge me to hurry up and my mom whisper my name. I finally walked in and looked around at the other prisoners, I had decided that our reunion could wait until I got them at least uncuffed, there was my parents, a rodian, a Twi'lek, and a Mandalorian in the transport. I moved toward the Twi’lek and quickly unlocked her and moved on to the Rodian and then the Mandalorian and finally to my parents. As I uncuffed the Rodian I heard fire from outside and started to move faster. 

I had just gotten all of them undone and started to let my mother hug me when I heard an unmistakable sound that meant that I was definitely needed. It was the sound of both Kanan and Ahsoka’s lightsabers igniting.


	3. The Capture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mission doesn't go as planned, though they never do so who's surprised.

Kanan’s POV

When I didn’t hear any movement from behind me while I was guarding the transport ship I knew that we were right and Ezra’s parents were in there. I was glad for the kid but at the moment we really needed to get going, so I said, “Ezra. Hurry up. We need to get this going.” I heard a soft gasp of “Ezra,” from behind me and then movement. The distinctive sounds of cuffs unlocking came once before a couple troopers came behind and saw us. The troopers started to fire at us and Ahsoka and I returned fire. While doing this I could hear Ezra hurrying to undo the rest of them. 

We had gotten all of the troopers and believed that we were done. Until suddenly from both sides the two inquisitors that we were currently being hunted by. Both Ahsoka and I on the site of them ignited our lightsabers. I quickly grabbed my com and said into it, “Specter 1 to Specters 3 and 4. We could use some help getting the prisoners out to the Ghost.” “Ok. We’re on our way,” came Zeb’s voice from the com.   
Then I yelled, “Ezra we need you!” as I blocked the Fifth Brother’s first strike before I realized that he was right next to me already. Ezra and I struck at the same time at the inquisitor, and in an attempt to block both of us at the same time he blocked Ezra’s saber with his own and force pushed me back into the side of the transport and I slid down the wall slamming my head on a coroner of a crate on the way down. Then everything went black.

Ezra’s POV

After I heard the lightsabers ignite I rushed towards the door to find both inquisitors there. Ahsoka was fighting one while Kanan quickly spoke into his com.

Suddenly remembering the prisoners who had followed me to the door I turned to them and said, “Stay here. Some of my crew will come and get you,” and with that I turned around and ignited my own lightsaber. From the prisoners I could hear a gasp and my father saying, “A jedi,” but I couldn’t focus on that at the moment. 

I rushed out to help right as Kanan blocked the Male inquisitor’s strike and yelled, “Ezra, we need you!” We looked at each other and struck at the same time to try and off balance him and catch him off guard. At the same time I saw and felt him block my strike and Kanan fly backward.

“Kanan!” I yelled in surprise glancing back at him to see him unconscious against a crate. I wanted to help him, but at the moment I was a bit busy. 

I had been so distracted by Kanan I had almost forgot about the inquisitor. That was until I sensed his lightsaber coming at me and barely blocked it over my head. Spinning around I lunged at him but he blocked it easily. Then he started to strike at me viciously, pushing me back until I was against the wall of the transport. On the edge of my mind I could hear Zeb directing the prisoners towards the Ghost, which had come and was waiting for us to get on, and Sabine arguing Kanan to wake up. Suddenly, the air was ripped from me as I was lifted off the ground by the force and slammed into the side of the ship. Then everything went black.

Kanan’s POV

I suddenly woke with Sabine in front of me. She had obviously had been trying to wake me, but that was not what actually woke me. What woke me was a sharp wave of pain and desperation coming from Ezra through the force. I jumped up and took in the scene in front of me. Ahsoka was still fighting the female inquisitor, but the inquisitor was backing away. And the other inquisitor, the one who knocked me out, was bending down to pick up something. That something was Ezra!

I started to rush forward, but yet again the inquisitor force pushed me back. But, this time it wasn’t just me it was everyone and the pushed us towards the Ghost.We all landed in a heap of limbs and bodies. So, by the time we got back out the inquisitors were gone. And, they had my padawan.


	4. Torure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They try to find Ezra and Ezra finds where he is.

Kanan’s POV

“Specter 2 we need to get going,” I half choke into the com trying not to let my worry seep into my voice and wait for Hera’s argument, but it doesn’t come. We speed of as more troopers pore towards the place we had been. Surprisingly we easily slip into hyperspace which is weird. My head was pounding like it was trying to burst from my head, I guess getting thrown backwards and hitting your head twice doesn’t really do anyone any good, but I can’t deal with that right now we need to get Ezra back. Suddenly I remember the mission and turn to the others. Zeb, Rex and Sabine are still standing there staring at the closed ramp. Next to them in a small group were standing five people. There was a male rodian, a sky blue female Twi’lek, a male human who was obviously Mandalorian, and finally two people I had seen once before in a picture, Ezra’s parents, Mira and Ephraim Bridger. They looked a little different than in the picture Ezra had, after all that had been over eight years ago. They both looked older and somehow downtrodden, along with the fact that the little you could see of Mira’s hair you could see was obviously graying. When I saw that Ahsoka was over talking with them all I headed over there.

Just as I got over to the group Hera entered the hanger saying, “How did the mission go?”, only then did I remember that she didn’t actually see what happened so she didn’t know yet that Ezra had been captured, when she saw the looks that almost everyone was looking at her with and then counted heads she stopped dead in her tracks. “Where’s Ezra?” her voice shook as she asked this. I could hear a small gasping sob come from behind me where I knew Mira was standing.

“The inquisitors have him,” I replied. 

Hera asked urgently as she grasped the situation, “Where did they take him then?”

“We don’t know.”

“Well haven’t you tried to reach him through the force,” Hera suggested with an air around her that seemed to say ‘duh’. As she said this I realized that I hadn’t done that and started to reach out with force to try and find Ezra’s force signature. Just as I saw the shimmer of his bright signature a wave of agonizing pain came through the bond that Ezra and I shared. It was so horrible and strong that I staggered and fell to my knees.

I could tell that the others were talking whether it was to me or not I couldn’t tell. The only thing I could focus on was Ezra’s signature and I whispered, “Ezra,” as pinpointed where he was at. This isn’t good.

Ezra’s POV

I woke up in a dark cold cell with an aching body and an enormous headache. “Where am I?” I asked myself as I tried to move my arms and found them strapped down to the upright table thing I was apparently strapped down to. The last thing I could remember was fighting the fifth brother while Kanan was unconscious and Zeb was leading the prisoners to the Ghost. The prisoners that included my parents. They were alive! But, I still have no idea where I am.

“You’re on an Imperial Cruiser in my custody and you are going to tell me everything you know about the rebels and the prisoners you just rescued and where your crew is taking them,” the seventh sister said calmly as she entered the room. 

“Never,” I hissed and I knew it was true I would never betray my crew or any of the rebels to the Empire or anyone for that matter. I knew what she would try so I put up force blocks in my mind just like Kanan taught me.

“This might make you change your mind,” she replied a tiny bit less calmly and I felt her try to probe my mind pushing at the walls I had set up. They held pretty well for a person who had never actually done this before and had the worst headache ever. In fact this was just making my head hurt worse. This went on for quite a while. I had just started to feel Kanan’s presence searching for me and I started to reach out to him.

As soon as the Fifth Sister realized what I was doing she stopped and said, “Well if that won’t work than this might soften you up.” She then set the setting on the electrocution probe to high and set it on me.  
Excruciating pain seared through every nerve of my body until I gratefully welcomed the darkness of unconsciousness.

Seventh Sister’s POV

The little brat padawan was too good at resisting me. I would have continued to work at taking down his surprisingly strong mind walls if I hadn't felt his master start to find him here. I couldn't have that, so I started electrocuting him. Then his screaming started which was almost more annoying than his resisting. I was done with this for now so I stopped the machine as he slipped into unconsciousness. He was supposed to be the easiest to get information out of, but from just this one interrogation that that was not true and this was going to be way harder than I expected.


	5. Planing... Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They make a plan to get Ezra back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is yet another filler, so I am sorry for the shortness of the chapter.

Kanan’s POV

After a few minutes of waves of agonizing pain from Ezra the waves seemed to mute themselves so they were still there but not as piercing. I knew that meant Ezra was unconscious. Now the pain had stopped I double checked where he was and found that he was on the imperial cruiser called Vengeance which was in the space above Lothal. Then I took in my surroundings. Hera was kneeling on the floor next to me, the others were standing closer than before, except for a couple of the prisoners who seemed to be afraid of me, and Ahsoka was standing on my other side with her eyes closed looking through the force.

“What happened?” I hear Hera say. 

“They,” I started to say but then stopped remembering that in the small group of people around me were Ezra’s parents. 

I’m guessing that Hera saw my hesitation and how I looked towards his parents for she said, “We should discuss this in… private,” also glancing at his parents and the other prisoners. She stood up then helped me to my feet, I was a little unsteady on my feet. We then both walked towards the common room and as I left the room I looked back and gave Zeb and Sabine a look that said, “Come on.” As I walked towards the common room and sat down I heard Zeb tell the prisoners to stay there and then the clanking of the others coming towards me leaving Chopper to stay with the people we had rescued.

When all of us had sat around the table Hera asked her question again, “What happened back there?”

“I found Ezra. He’s on the Imperial cruiser Vengeance in the Lothal system, and what happened back there was pain coming through the bond that we share. They’re torturing him. Probably for information on us and the prisoners we rescued. Not only was it torture, but I’m pretty sure it was an electrocution probe doing it.” I told them and started to go on, but I heard a stifled gasp next to me and I turned to see Hera looking like she was about to cry. While I had been talking I had been working to pull up a diagram of the ship. Now everyone was looking at it. As I highlighted a section of the diagram I grabbed a hold of Hera’s hand and squeezed it. “This is where he will be held. We can get on the ship from the airlock here. From there it’s a straight shot to his cell. I think that Ahsoka, Sabine, and I should go with the Phantom and save Ezra while the rest of you should stay here on the Ghost to distract them and also keep those we already saved safe.” When no one said anything for a moment I said defensively, “We are going to save Ezra. Right?”   
“Of course we are, love. But, I was thinking we maybe should drop the people we saved in a safe spot before we do,” Hera replied hesitantly.

I started to protest, but Ahsoka beat me to it saying, “No. Kanan’s right. It would take to long to take them to the refugee camp we’ve chosen for them. By the time we got back they would already be gone with Ezra. Also, I don’t think the Bridgers would leave until they saw that Ezra was ok. After all they just got him back and now he’s captured.” The others thought for a moment then all of them nodded in agreement.When we had all agreed Hera let go of my hand and stood up and headed to the cockpit to change the coordinates for the hyperdrive. 

I started to stand up and go to my room to find something to stop this blasted headache that only seemed to strengthen after the experience with Ezra and our connection when suddenly Sabine spoke up, “About Ezra’s parents, I thought they were dead.”

“We did too until the transmission,” Ahsoka told her.

“Then how did they survive?” Zeb asked.

“Why don’t we go ask them ourselves,” I say and Sabine, Zeb, and I all headed back to the prisoners we had rescued to ask them about it.


	6. Story Time Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We find out the story behind some of the characters.

Ezra’s POV

The next time I woke up I was in the same position as the last time, but this time my entire body was sore and felt like it was on fire. I could smell something burnt and horrible, it ended up being that some of my skin was signed. There was no way of knowing how long I had been out, but I knew it couldn’t have been more than an hour. It took me a couple minutes to asses this and by that time I sensed there was someone in the room with me. 

Just as I was about to say something I heard the seventh sister say, “Good, you’re awake.” That meant that it was very bad for me to be awake. I braced myself for more electrocution or mind probing or a new kind of torture, but it never came.

Instead I heard the words, “I’m going to tell you a story.”

Kanan’s POV

I started to rush out of the room along with Sabine and Zeb because I was really interested in what we were all wondering, but then I realized what I was doing. I’m a respectable adult so I shouldn’t be rushing out like a kid on Christmas morning, so I slowed down to a walk and calmly went around the corner and into the hold to see Sabine and Zeb already standing in front of Ezra’s parents.Luckily Zeb knew how much I needed to hear this so they had waited for me to get to them before asking Ezra’s parents anything. 

As soon as I was standing next to them Sabine burst out, “How did you guys survive. We all thought you were dead.”

They seemed to be expecting the question and Mira spoke up saying, “It’s a long story.”

“We have a while,” I informed them.

“In that case, we’ll tell you our story if you tell us all you know about our son,” Ephraim said.

“Deal,” I agreed eagerly.

“Then, it’s story time,” Sabine said with a lot of enthusiasm that was kind of surprising.

Ezra’s POV

When I was little, before my parents were arrested, everyday my mom or my dad would find me wherever I was and say, ‘Storytime!’ That word was my favorite word in the whole world because it meant hearing about when Lothal was good and the Empire didn’t have control, and after they were arrested it still was my favorite word because when I heard storytime or anything of the like I would remember my parents and those stories were some of my fondest memories of them. I wasn’t so sure about it being my favorite word anymore. After, hearing the gravely and frightening voice of the Seventh Sister say anything like it I didn’t think I could ever hear that word again without cringing.

“Actually two stories. About two people you know, who were on different sides but both made mistakes that would change them forever,” the Seventh SIster continued, “This first story starts about a year before the Empire gained control of the galaxy. The Jedi were very powerful and were putting up a good fight against the droid army of the separatists. Meanwhile a certain bounty hunter named Cad Bane was payed to steal something from the Jedi archives. With much difficulty he managed to steal the thing he had been sent for. He then delivered this thing over to the Sith. You see the sith had been low on apprentices for a while, but this thing Bane stole had the names of all the kids who were born or about to be born who were strong in the force,” Ezra gasped at this, he had never heard of that before and if the Sith had had it something bad must have happened. “I see you’re shocked. How else could the Jedi have got all the padawans they had. Anyways, the sith then gave Cad Bane the locations of five children for him to take from their families and bring back to them. The Jedi stopped him. They thought he hadn’t gotten any of the children, but they were wrong. He had managed to take one child. That kid was a little girl from the small outer-rim planet of Querrus*. After, she was taken to the Sith she was put with six other girls and taught the ways of the dark side of the force. They never told her her real name, but called her the seventh sister,” that also surprised Ezra, this was her story. Why was she telling him this? “One day she got fed up with the way they treated her. So, she and the sixth sister decided to try and escape the place they were and live somewhere away from their horrible lives there. But, the plan the made to escape was feeble and they were caught before they even left the compound. As punishment they made the seventh sister watch as the sixth sister, the only family she had ever had, die from a wound she had sustained while trying to escape. Ever since then she was a perfect little angel, or devil as some like to think of dark users as. One mistake had cost her sister’s life,” the seventh sister finished with that. It was an interesting story and all, but Ezra was really confused about why he was hearing this and who the story was about.  
He didn’t have long to wait for his second question to be answered for just then the seventh sister launched into the second story saying, “A few years earlier, nine to be exact, a child who was force sensitive was born. Soon after he was born the Jedi came and took him from his family to the temple. This child’s name was Caleb Dume and he was raised in the way of the light side of the force. About the year the Clone Wars started he was made the Padawan of Jedi Master Depa Billaba.” That name seemed strangely familiar to Ezra and after another moment of thinking he remembered what was so familiar about it: that was Kanan’s master! Was she telling him Kanan’s story?

He didn't have any more time to contemplate the question for right then the seventh sister continued the story saying, “He was a great strategist and commander but, always listened to his master. That's except for one time. The day that order 66 was inforced That name sounded strangely familiar to Ezra and after another moment of thinking he remembered: that was Kanan’s master! Was this story about Kanan?  
He didn’t have more time to contemplate this question as the seventh sister continued the story, “The day that Order 66 was inforced Caleb and his master were on a planet discussing strategies to take the planet back from the separatists. They had sent out a scouting party to scope out the enemy line and she told him to stay with her. He didn’t. He went with the group of about five clones to survey. They were just heading back to report when the Order was sent out. He had been ahead of the clones and saw a glimpse as he came around a corner and saw his master surrounded by her own troops, pointing their guns at her. She had her lightsaber out and seemed to be holding them off. That is until she saw him. She shouted for him to run and as she did one of the clones got a clear shot at her back and took it. She fell to the ground dead. She sacrificed herself for him to get away, and he did get away. He ran and found a trader to take him away from that place. He ended up staying with the trader, working with him, and changing his name. Now, Caleb Dume is gone. He’s now Kanan Jarrus.”

The story was about Kanan! Why was she telling him this? Wait, how does she know all this?! 

“Why are you telling me this?” Ezra finally voiced his question.

As she was leaving the room the seventh sister replied saying, “To show you that no matter what you do, your family will always die,” and with that she left Ezra alone in the room with his thoughts.


	7. Story Time Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We learn more about some characters.

Kanan’s POV

“I was also wondering why you broadcast those transmissions against the Empire,” Zeb told the Bridger's before they started their story.

“Ok then, where should we start?” Ephraim asked his wife.

“Let’s just start from the beginning,” Mira answered him and started their story, “During the time of the old Republic we were both happy, all of Lothal was, we loved our lives. Then on the day our son, Ezra, was born the Empire took over. They made everything horrible. We wished that they hadn’t come because our son would never know the good way of living. The only way to change anything is to stand up and try to change it, ourselves. We had both been told multiple times that we were persuasive and could get people to listen to us, if we just tried, but we were scared. Who knew what this Empire would do to us if we tried to speak out against them? We didn’t know, no one did, and we had our, at the time, barely one year old son to take think about. If they did something to us, what would happen to him?”

Ephraim continued the story as Mira suddenly went silent and look as though she was lost in a far away thought, “That is, we were scared until we started to notice something that made us terrified. As Mira mentioned Ezra was almost two years old when we started to notice, some strange things happen,” Kanan knew that Ezra had probably started to show him force sensitivity by that time, which was kind of late for force sensitives, unless they just didn’t notice what was happening around them before.

After a few moments of silence, as Ephraim couldn’t seem to figure out how to continue and Mira was still lost in thought, Kanan broke in saying, “You noticed things start to happen. Items seeming to float with no apparent cause, and it only happened when Ezra was in the room, upset or looking at the thing that was floating,” he paused waiting for a confirmation, which came in the form of a nod from Ephraim and then continued, “Everyone had already heard of ord… the… massacre of the Jedi, and here was your son showing that he was able to do things, just like those Jedi. In your mind it was only a matter of time before the Empire found out and came after him anyways, no matter what you did or didn’t do.”

He started to continue, but before he could Mira interrupted, “Exactly. We already knew how to intercept and put in our own broadcasting, I had learned how to before the Empire took over, the only thing that was holding us back was the thought of our son and what would happen to all of us. But, after that discovery we knew that sometime we would be hunted down anyway, it was only a matter of time. One day we decided to just go ahead and broadcast something. It was small, just a little saying of hope, but it was enough. We told people that the only way to change our lives were to stand up for them. We started noticing more and more people stand up, just like we said,” she paused here and regathered her thoughts, “That encouraged us to continue, and we did, broadcasting here and there at first, then a few times a week. We managed to evade the Empire for about five years, then they finally got to us.”

Again Mira went quite, but this time was because she was clearly about to cry, so Ephraim picked up the story where she had left off, “It was Ezra’s seventh birthday, the seventh Empire day, we were celebrating in our house with a small cake, just the three of us. All the sudden there was a loud pounding on the door. We weren’t sure what to think, so we had Ezra hide down where we usually broadcast. Then, we opened the door. It was a group of about ten stormtroopers, all of them pointing their guns at us, and this guy about our age, who was an agent…” Oh, please don’t let it have been Kalus, that would just be ironic. Kanan thought as he continued, “the agent said to the troopers, ‘arrest them’ that was when we knew they had finally figured it out. Two of them came at each of us. We tried to fight, but as soon as we tried to do anything one of the others stunned us. The next thing we knew we were in a cell somewhere, we were together, but we had no idea what had happened to Ezra.” For a minute, everyone was silent wondering what exactly happened, as none of them knew what had happened to Ezra after that.

Ephraim continued, “For seven years we were in prison, used to make anti-gravity locks for the Empire. We never really even let ourselves hope that Ezra was still alive. He had been so young when we were taken and we knew that no one would help him, that was just how the people were. After a few years we began to lose faith and hope all together. That is until one day, a few months ago, we were working and like usual they had the Imperial holonet playing for all of us to hear. For, the longest time it was the usual crap and propaganda that was broadcast, but suddenly there was static on it. Then we heard an unfamiliar feminine voice say ‘Go ahead,’” Kanan knew that was Hera’s voice on that transmission they had sent out a while ago. “Then another voice, one that was oddly familiar came on and said, ‘We have been called criminals, but we are not. We’re rebels fighting for the people fighting for you,’ this surprised all of us, we had heard of the rebellion that was going on, but we never expected something like this to happen. As the person talked I continued to notice how familiar the voice was. The voice continued saying, ‘I’m not that old, but I remember when things were better on Lothal. Maybe not great, but never like this. See what the Empire has done to your lives, your families, and your freedom? It’s only going to get worse. Unless we stand up and fight back. It won’t be easy there will be loss and sacrifice, but we can’t back down because we’re afraid. That’s when we need to stand the tallest. That’s what my parents taught me,’ when we were still around we had always told that exact same thing to Ezra. After hearing that I realized why the voice was familiar. Even though it had been years since we had last seen him, that was definitely Ezra’s voice. The thing we had never even considered happening had happened, he was alive. And, on top of that, he was part of a rebellion. Ezra then said, ‘That’s what my new family helped me remember. Stand up together, cause that’s when were strongest, as one.’”

At this point Mira interrupted her husband, “That hope that had been gone from us for so long was suddenly restored. We started planning an escape from that prison, and soon we had almost all of the prisoners on board, and just had to wait for the right time to enact our plan,a dn that time came about a week ago. While there were moving us out for us to work, while moving others back to their cells we all ran. We had gained the trust of a trooper, with the help of some money. He caused an alarm to go off so we could get free of our bounds and run. Most of us got out. We had stayed behind a bit to make sure that everyone else could get out. We were stupid. The five of us,” she gestured to the five ex-prisoners they had rescued, “got captured. They were going to just execute all of us quietly, but when they figured out who we were. They decided to use us as bait to try to get you guys. That obviously worked and now we’re here. That’s our story, in a nutshell.” Everyone, especially Kanan was shocked, and when no one talked for a while Mira prompted us saying, “So, what do you know about Ezra.”

Kanan and the others looked at each other for a moment and silently decided that Kanan would be the one to tell all they knew, which wasn’t much really.

“We haven’t known your son for very long. Almost a year ago, we were on a supply run, when I felt something in the force, then a teen with dark navy blue long hair came running over and hopped on the speeder with supplies, we were about to steal,” he heard Zeb chuckle at the thought of their first meeting with the teen, “He ended up on this ship after we saved him from some Imperials. We took him with us to complete our supply run. While we were there we got some more information on a time sensitive mission that we had been trying to get for a while. But, while all of this was going on Ezra snuck into my room and stole my Jedi holocron, because it was calling to him. The information we got was time sensitive, so we didn’t take him back to his home. It ended up that the mission was a trap and Ezra came into warn us. He got captured,” Mira gasped at this, though I don’t know why it was so surprising to her. 

I continued saying, “While he was in captivity he opened the holocron, which you can only do with the use of the force. We rescued him, well more like we picked him up because he got out on his own. Then, after I saw that he had opened the holocron I offered for him to stay with us, he had been living by himself in an old radio tower, and I would train him. Obviously, he accepted my offer and became my padawan. We haven’t really learned much about him. The most we ever learned about him was what happened to you two, that his childhood was rough, and that he is sensitive but never shows it. Your son is an amazing pickpocket and a great friend and teammate, even though it still takes him a while to trust people. Also, he is very strong in the force and is growing stronger by the day. I’ve come to think of him as my own son,” the last words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop myself.

The end of my story led to silence among all of us there. That is until Mira stepped forward to me and wrapped her arms around me. That really shocked me, I didn’t expect her to react that way. 

“Thank you for taking care of my son,” she said looking up at me, I was about a head taller than her. I was about to reply to her thanks when the shake of the ship coming out of hyperspace came. It had obviously been standing here longer than I thought. 

“We shouldn’t be here yet,” Hera said confusedly and then we heard the distinctive sound of tie fighters coming right at us.


	8. Fight or Flight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a short flight and a few revelations.

Kanan’s POV

“How the heck did this happen?” Sabine asked as the Ghost rocked after being hit.

“I don’t know!” Hera yelled back as she raced to the cockpit, I was right behind her. Sabine, Zeb, and Rex raced to the guns while Ahsoka stayed with the Bridgers and the others. 

I yelled back at them both, “It really doesn’t matter how it happened. And, besides it seems to happen every time, so I’m surprised we weren’t actually expecting it. Especially when we have just escaped prisoners with us, I mean seriously.” By the end of my rant I was sitting in the gun looking out into space. There was a small ship transport and about ten TIE’s surrounding us. 

One of the TIE’s shot at us as I sat down and Hera masterly maneuvered us out of the way. As I shot after the TIE I heard Hera yelling at Chopper to, ‘just fix the hyperdrive already, damn it!’ I chuckled at that. The hyperdrive was always breaking and this always happened because Chopper was just lazy and hated fixing it. After, a few moments of evading and returning fire, I heard Hera cheer in joy, that meant the hyperdrive was fixed, and just in time as well. I had found us an opening to get out of here. I hit the TIE strate on making two of the others smash into it as they tried to evade, the Empire really needs to find better pilots not to mention soldiers. Anyways, Hera took the chance, like always, and jumped out of there. We were back on track to get Ezra back. 

Everyone has two primal instincts, no matter which one is more evident, fight or flight. When I was at the Jedi Temple I had a fierce fight instinct, like a certain padawan of mine. When threatened I would automatically threaten them back. I was never one to really back down, or one to use the flight instinct, that is until one specific day. The day that Order 66 was enforced. 

When I saw those clone troopers, my comrades, my friends, surrounding my master like that, I didn’t feel like fighting, I was completely terrified. I didn’t want to fight, I wanted to run, the only reason I didn’t at that moment was because of my master. When she told me to run I didn’t need any encouragement. I was weak. I ran, and I’ve been running ever since. This time was no different. Sure, we probably could have stayed and fought of the empire, but no. We went until we had an opening and jumped to hyperspace, like we always did. We are fighting the Empire, but we are always fleeing when we came to a confrontation. Truly, this wasn’t a way to live or get anything done, but we were so used to it by know that we automatically did it. The only person on our crew that had any fight instinct that really shone through anymore was Ezra, and he sure needed it. 

Ezra’s POV

I was still a little frazzled and confused after the Seventh SIster’s stories when she came back. She glared at me for a moment before walking over to the torturer droid and starting it up.  
Without turning to look at me she asked, “Have you decided to work with us yet?” Was she really that stupid to think I would ever work with them? Obviously not, with the way she was turning on that droid without my answer, so she obviously knew my answer.

I answered her anyways in with a sneer, “I’ll never work with you.”

She smirked at me as she turned around and said, “Of course you won’t. You are way too stubborn. Maybe this will convince you,” she finished by turning back to the droid and gesturing for it to start in on me.  
I watched as it came towards me, a rod on it sparking with electricity. The thing was that I was scared, but I had always been a fighter except when it was necessary to flee, like after pickpocketing someone or stealing in general or just causing problems for the Empire. Anyways, I had always been a fighter and I would fight yet again. I would not let them break me. They would never get anything out of me. I would sooner die than give away my crew, my friends, my family. But, I knew that wouldn’t happen. They would never let me die. They would come for me like we did for Kanan. We were a family. We stuck together, no matter what happened.

I thought of my parents, who we had just rescued after I thought they were dead. I thought of how I reacted to the, false, news of their death. How the crew had tried to comfort me. How I had pushed them away, like the usual stupid and loner self. I thought of when I still lived with my parents, not worrying about a thing being loved. I thought of my time on the streets and how I never trusted anyone anymore. I thought of my time and adventures with the crew of the ghost. I realized that I trusted the crew. I trusted them to some get me from this hell-hole. I trusted them with my life and I know that they are my family and will always do everything for me. I thought of the stories I had been told. How no matter what they did, their families still died, and I promised myself something in that moment. I promised myself that no matter what my family, new and old, would not die, not on my watch.

I thought of and clung to these things as the droid brought that rod towards my face and the seventh sister asked me a question. I clung to them as I stayed silent. I clung to them as I fought with all my will not to scream as the rod came into contact with my skin, sending electricity through my veins. I clung to them as I was tortured. I clung to them as I lost consciousness, yet again. I clung to them in my unconscious state, waiting for my family to come a rescue me. I would fight my way out, I always did, But, I realized something I wasn’t alone anymore and never would be and that was good because to get fully out of this one I would need help from my family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is all I have done so far though I have about half of the next chapter already written, and will try to get it finished and updated soon. I hope you liked it so far. Love you all!


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